Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 281
Gritters & Snowploughs.
A subject that never ever fails to get people talking.
Whatever the authorities do it will be wrong for some people. We don't have that much snow & ice in England which means that we don't really have the recourses to deal with it.
Take a step back for a moment - we could double, treble, quadruple the amount of Gritters/Snowploughs, we would need a lot of extra HGV drivers to be on standby - that's a hell of a lot of money ties up in vehicles, drivers, infrastructure & support workers - do we want to pay more though our various taxes ?
Driving/operating a gritter/snowplough is a skilled task, it's not just a case of driving around scattering grit everywhere. Not many HGV drivers want to do it - on call, out during very unsocial hours (talking of which they are not subject to "normal" HGV hours restrictions). You have to put up with badly parked cars/vans & the thoughts that you be marooned for some time if it goes wrong.
Not easy either driving a vehicle up to 26ton on ice (fresh snow is not so bad).
Don't forget than most routes start away from the depot so you may very well see gritters driving on ungritted roads & not spreading.
You just don't pitch up & drive out - 3 x day or more course & a driving test at the end with the plough on. A lot more too it than driving a LR product.
So please give the drivers a bit of credit, they are doing their best, the routes are tracked & they are not allowed to deviate, they can only drive one gritter at a time. They get very little thanks for it.
How do I know ?
Easy, I'm a Gritter/Plough Driver & even with a GSOH I resent smart ass remarks from people who are under the illusion that they know better.
Safe driving everyone & take care.
12th Dec 2022 10:13 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13107
Gritter / snow plough drivers are a hugely important part of the system that keeps the country running, just as our dustmen are. Many will no doubt hold both in low regard but then moan like billy-oh if they weren't there.
As for the smart remarks in the thread, there is a long history of snow-related humour on this forum and the comment about wheelie bins (and the avoiding of same) was a reference to a specific long-standing example of that.
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Last edited by RRSTDV8 on 12th Dec 2022 11:17 pm. Edited 1 time in total
12th Dec 2022 10:18 pm
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15213
Good job there Mr C, we do all appreciate the work you do.
But on a lighter note …. as happens on this forum (with absolutely no disrespect)….
…. just checked and I’m between “Icesweeper Willy” and “You Only Grit Ice” up here.
Ours in Greater Mancunia don't get the same star treatment ... and I saw one nearly taken out by a driver who clearly doesn't believe in giving way to vehicles on the right at a roundabout about an hour ago.
13th Dec 2022 12:10 am
Brian Considine
Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 281
Thanks guys,
Strangely, I love the job even though you do meet some idiots on the road & receive a fair amount of abuse. You do get the pleasure of driving a true "big boys" toy - all wheel drive 3-axel Merc anyone ?
Certainly more to it that just driving around scattering tin-worm fodder all over the place.
14th Dec 2022 2:15 pm
DIY Ace
Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 879
You've mentioned getting abuse - I'm intrigued! In all my years I've never felt the need to personally, nor witnessed anyone else, nor had general life conversations with anyone who has felt ill feeling towards gritting machines (or their drivers).
Im curious - What sort of abuse is being thrown about, and by what sort of moron? I can't think what anyone would have to complain about...
I might understand the general moaning about not having enough gritters around, but frankly I fully agree with your earlier comments about not having the cash spare to have them all lying around for 11 months of the year.2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
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We live in the North East of England on a road that is 1170ft above sea level so we do get quite a bit of snow in the winter.
Often, the snow plough creates such a large drift at the side of the road that it completely blocks the end of our track with a 6ft 'snow-wall'.
Do I complain? No. I realise that this is now a 'lock in' and I fetch myself a beer! Back in the game!
15th Dec 2022 12:47 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13909
Drove to Milan on Monday. Going through Switzerland the roads were lovely and clear despite heavy snow. I ended following two gritters in tandem for 20 miles keeping the road open. I found it quite therapeutic sat behind them.
Interestingly they spray a liquid not salt.
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15th Dec 2022 8:52 am
RogB
Member Since: 15 Jun 2018
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 1651
I think salt on the roads was banned in Europe many years ago, it wasnt used in Germany when i was there late 80's thats for sure2011 D4 XS 305 MY12 - gone but not forgotten
15th Dec 2022 9:45 am
Brian Considine
Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 281
The vehicles that I drive mix a saline/brine solution with the rock salt.
It all boils down to cost - rock salt/brine is probably far cheaper than other media.
On return to the depot we have to jetwash the vehicle's end to end with clean water otherwise the corrosion is an issue.
15th Dec 2022 10:26 am
RogB
Member Since: 15 Jun 2018
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 1651
Ive always wondered....
How do the people who clear the roads (gritter & plough drivers etc) get to their gritter lorries if the roads haven't been gritted and ploughed ??
same principal as the chicken and egg quandary
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well i found it funny in my head 2011 D4 XS 305 MY12 - gone but not forgotten
15th Dec 2022 11:38 am
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
I would agree with many of the comments on here.
Most people do not blame the gritters although with any profession you do get people who are not professional and do tar the rest of the group with the same brush.
Most members of the public do not abuse or disrespect gritter drivers they want them to keep the roads open so are normally very accommodating and have seen stories about members of the public giving out hot drinks etc. So as with some drivers one or two bad apples tar everyone with the same brush. I worked in the fire service for 28 years and have seen and suffered verbal and physical abuse from members of the public, have even had fireworks fired at us when attending incidents, so it is the same across the board unfortunately.
I do not know of any council who employ gritter drivers 365 days a year as pure gritter drivers, most employ drivers for other driving jobs and then free them up wintertime to drive the gritters. So training cannot be the end of the world and could be something that most HGV drivers could pick up if we needed extra drivers in a hurry with some training all be it not 5 minutes training.
With regards to having the vehicles to put them in, well that is another story and as with drivers no council has the budget to buy hundreds of gritters and leave them sat doing nothing 3/4 of the year. So it is a difficult balance.
That is the big issue here, sudden cold snaps catch councils out who are poorly prepared and often do not have drivers freed up from their normal roles, have not provided refresher training, may not have all the lorries available for immediate deployment and possibly do not have all the stocks of salt required.
Furthermore, they have a schedule of roads they have to give priority to for gritting and this priority may change as conditions change. This often means that road do not get gritted or not as often as we would like which means some people bad mouth the gritter drivers when it is not their fault but the council who run the service.
All we can hope is that people respect the difficult job gritter drivers do and where possible help them out MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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15th Dec 2022 12:22 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
A very good proportion of gritters are leased for the winter period only, and sit in Econ's yard at Ripon all summer. They come out again at October or November depending where they will be working.
Edit. I'm making bespoke gritter truck parts today!Richard
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15th Dec 2022 12:39 pm
Dondiddy
Member Since: 26 Dec 2019
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 307
Years ago I worked for as it was at the time Strathclyde Region and did the gritter standby as a HGV mechanic on call to deal with any gritter breakdowns or problems. The fleet as the time was a small number of dedicated gritters, mostly 6x6 Fodens or Ford Cargos and the majority of the rest were normal 4x2 tippers fitted with demountable gritter bodies. Most breakdowns were due to burst hydraulic hoses, rusted through air pipes or flat batteries for the donkey engines. The dedicated gritters were all ancient and held together by rust and had all sorts of temporary repairs that were never sorted properly year after year as they were MOT exempt and never had money spent on them. The luxury of a working heater was something few had although the cab over engine design meant that the cabs still got warm. The standby van was a 2 wheel drive Ford Escort which had to get wherever the gritters were almost always before the roads in question had been gritted. You could be out all night on repairs but were still expected to be at work the next morning as normal. They gritters nowadays do seem to be much newer and are kept in much better condition so should have fewer breakdown and be a much nicer place to be for the people driving them.
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remarks in the thread, there is a long history of snow-related humour on this forum and the comment about wheelie bins (and the avoiding of same) was a reference to a specific long-standing example of that.
